Smokeless-powder grain.



H. MAXIM.

SMOKELESS POWDER GRAIN.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31,1905

Patented Aug. 10, 1909. I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ANDREW. a. GRAMM cm. PNWINOGRAPKERS. wAuNlm'rom-n a i no. 930,979.

' HUDSON AXIM, ornnw YORK, Y.

'- SMOKELESS-POWDER GRAIN.

To all whom it concern:

smokeless gunpowder of manufacture.

Be. it known'that I, HUDSONFAAXINT, of the borough of- Brooklyn, city of New York, State of New York, have invented a new andv useful Improvem ent in Smokeless- Powder. Grains: which invention is fully set forth in the following specification. I

. Thisinvention relates to improvements in grains and in methods The object ofthe invention is to make a powder graimwhi'ch shall be somewhat less dense per unitofweight than simple, plain I fiat strips, sokas to enable thech-arge to be creasing, as itis consumed, or at least res-- better'distribute'd' in the gun, than would unperforated orn'on-cellular fiat' strips, and

which powder grain shall b.e.consumed in the gun with a considerable degi ee of acceleration, that ls'to say, the burning surface of which shall increaseinstead of de- 7 main constant and not decrease.

-ob tain a' slight acceleration of combustion,

It is not desired, with the improved for-In of powder grain, to obtain the greatest;

amount-of acceleration of combustion, but to and to secureat the same time and by the same means less density of loading and consequent better distribution of the charge throughout the powder chamber of the gun.

.A, further object of the invention is to provlde a, form of perforated grain, the web fof which, between the perforations or cells maybe made of gr'eaterorless thickness to adapt the grain for larger or'srnaller guns by "the simple expedient of varying the i depth of the cells or depressions to increase 'or diminish the thickness of web of powder 7 between the cells and between the ends of the cells and grain.

In practice, the material is first rolled into sheets of the desired thickness, and these sheets are passed through perforating rolls,

the opposite surfaces of the which are made adjustable for the purpose,

or. the sheets. are placed between molding dies and pressed'into the desired shape. After being perforated-orunolded the sheets are then' cut into strips, or pieces of any desired'length or breadth, or the sheets may be first cut in strips of equal widths and thlelse strips passed through the perforating r0 s.v

The accompanying drawings -illustrate I Specification of Letters Patent.

- Application filed March 31,1905. Serial No. 253,134.

'6 of Fig; 5.

Patented Aug. 10, ieoe.

[practical embodiments of. the invention, in

which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved powder grain, one longitudinal edge being in section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section on the line 2 of Fig; 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section on the line 3 of said figure. Fig. 4 is a similar section of a thicker powder grain in which the cells do not extend through to the opposite surface Fig. 5 is a plan View of a powder grain with a modified form and arrangement of the cells or" depressions, some of the cells entering from the opposite side being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the same on the line Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross section of the same on the line 7 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. Sis anenlarged longitudinal section of r a thickerpowder grain showing a wider web between the cells. 7 r

- r The improved powder grain consists of a fiat strip 10, Figs. 1 and 5, with opposite parallel'surfaces and provided withcells or {depressions 12, extending inwardly from opposite surfaces of the grain, the cells which extend inwardly from one side being staggered with relation to the cells extending inwardly from the opposite side. Each of the cells is tapered lengthwise, terminating in more or less of a point, and the cross section of the taper'may be rectangular as in Fig. :1, sothat :viewed from the surface of the grain the cells will consist of parallel rows of rectangular depressions, with the rectangular depresslons of one surface alternating with the rectangular depressslons of the other surfaces, whereby the points or ends of the cells do notineet, but pass one another atequal distances. That is to say, the vertical axes of the cells of each row of cells are equally distant from each other.

Instead of being rectangular the contour of the cells or. depressions 12, may be round when horizontally considered, as in Fig. 5, wherein the cells extending inwardly from one surface alternate or are staggered with relation to those extending inwardly from V tiuch per-' the other surface of the grain. forated powder grains will have their cells or depressions sodisposed throughout the length and breadth of the grain as to provide equal web thicknesses of powder between the cells as in all the figures, and in some instances. as in Figs. 4t and 8, between the endstof the cells and opposite surface of the grain, forming a zig-zag web of powder of equal thickness throughout, so that the grain will burn substantially with a gradual acceleration.

here the powder grain is of a thickness permitting the cells entering from one surface thereof to pierce, or nearly pierce, the opposite surface, as in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7, the webs of powder 3, between adjacent cells will have parallel walls inclined to the surface of the grain and to the long axesot the cells; and where the powder grain is of a tlUClQDGSS where the ends of the cellsdo not pierce :the opposite surface of the grain, as in Flgs. stand 8, the web of powder .1: unperforated between the bottom of the cells and the adjacentsurface of the grain will be of equal thickness .with the webs 3 between the cells, so that no matter whether the cells extend entirely through the powder grain or only partially through, equal thicknesses of webs of powder will remain so that accelerated combustion thereof will result and a .much ;less dense grain be obtained.

By making the cells or depressions with rectangular walls, as distinguished from those having round or circular walls, a maximum displacement of the powder mass 1s obtained and hence ;a grain of much less density per unit of weight is formed, while the disposition and shape of the cells, whether of rectangular or circular contour, provide equal web thickness of powder between them which permits an accelerated combustion until the grain is substantially wholly consumed.

The cells or depressions 12, Figs. 1 and 5,

may be supplemented by a row of small deprcssions or cells 14, which are also seen in Figs. 2 and 7, following the opposite longitudinal .edges of the powder grain, the cells in the rows in one surface alternating with those in the-opposite surface, so that unduly wide portions of powder, say between the outer row of cells 12 and the longitudinal edges will be reduced in thickness so as to be consumed simultaneously with the equal web thicknesses of powder between the cells 12.

ltis to be noted that thesame cell-making;

device or mold will operate to produce the cellular structures of Figs. 3

matter of another application for Letters and l. and of Figs. 6 and 8, the variation in the thickness Patent filed by me in the United States Pat- A powder grain consisting of a cellular fiat strip of powder material =the.cells thereof being rectangular tapers.

3. A powder grain consisting of a cellular flat strip of powder material, thecells of which are tapered and extend inwardly from the opposite sides thereof, and providing equal web thicknesses between them.

4. A cellular powder grain, wherein tapered cells extend inwardly from opposite sides of the grain and provide equal web thicknesses between them and between the ends of the cells and the surface of the grain.

5. A flat cellular powder grain, wherein the powder between adjacent cells consists of an in'lperforate web inclined with respect to the surface of the grain said grain having a slightly accelerated rate of combustion.

6. A fiat cellular powder grain, wherein the powder between adjacent cells consists of imperforate oppositely inclined webs of equal thickness, said grain having a slightly accelerated rate of combustion.

7. A cellular powder grain wherein the cells or depressions from the opposite surtl'aces of the grain provide a zig-zag imhpcrloralc web of powder of uniform thickness.

8. A cellular powder grain, "the cells or depressions of which extend from the opposite sides inwardly with those of one side staggered in relation to thoseof the opposite side and a marginal row of cells of less dimensions than the other cells.

9. A powder grain consisting of a flat strip of powder material having cells of a regularly decreasing cross-sectional area from the surface ofthe strip inward, said cells being uniformly distributed over the opposite iacesofthe strip, those 011 one face being 111 staggered relation to those on the other face.

In testimony whereof I have signed this spcclfication in the presence of *two subscribing witnesses.

I'IUDS N MAXIM. Witnesses H. I. BERNITAIU), XV. :H. I-IAu'rINe. 

